The National tribune., 1887-11-17
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught BIZ Study or the Int
national Sundsy-sehool Lesson Appointed q
Nov. q. st. Matt, 12 :1-i4.


Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.l
SUBJECT: THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW MORE I'M
PORTANr THAN THE LETTER. EVEN THE
STRICT LAWS RELATING To THE SABBATH
MUST YIELD TO THE INTERESTS OF HU-
MANITY.
We shall give special attention to verses to
8. The student should read st. Mark, 2 %
%, and st. Luke, 6 is.
A good method of Bible study is the exami-
nation of scriptural references. First, find out
how the Bible explains itself Then one is
ready to investigate commentaries, histories,
etc.
On plucking ears OF corn (V. ~, see Deu., %:
%. Compare Deu., 1924; st. Mark, 11:13,
and st. John, 1872.
As to its not being lawful to pluck the ears
of corn on the Sabbath, see Ex., 20: 10, which
forbids ANY work" on the Sabbath, and it
was evidently some work to pluck ears of corn.
Also. Ex., 35:2, 3; 3l:13-17; Nu., Is: 81 SO;
Eze., 90: 90.
Bible history q Saml, 81 :1-6) tells us about
David being very hungry, and, in his extreme,
eating the bread of the tabernacle, which was
put there exclusively for a religious purpose.
But it is the purest style of religion which
cares FOR a perishing man. The shew-bread
itself could not be put to better use than in re-
freshing furnishing human creature. Even a
specific law so strict as that which kept sacred
the sacramental or consecrated bread must not
stand in the way when a hungry man pleads
for food. Though the high priest was reluc-
tant to permit what under ordinary circum-
stances would be sacrilege, yet he was con-
WINGED that in the special circumstances it was
allowable to give to David some of the shew-
bread. (See also st. Mark, 2:26, 27) On
"shew-bread," see Lev, "a SO. 1t is notice
able that only the High Priest and his sons
were permitted TO partake of it. (Ex, %: 81,
80; Lev, 8: 3D. David was not a priest in any
sense. Ex., %: 1880, gives account of the
making of the table for shew-bread. The Phsr-
isees owned and magnified David, and yet his
act, as compared with that of our Savior and
his Disciples in plueking a few ears of corn on
the Sabbath, when they were very hungry, was
as a beam to a mote. Why did they not find
fault with David? (St. Matt, Z: $50
The great reason for criticism in the act of
Christ was that it was done on the Sabbath.
But how about the priests2 VS. They
worked on Sabbaths in q hard, unpleasant
labor. (Nu,, 1873. 10, Is. 49, From q strict
Interpretation of Exodus. 20: 10, the priests did
profane the Sabbath. 1t is clear the law was
not unyielding-that it had exceptions. No
one thought of consuming the priests for slay-
ing on the Sabbath victims for sacrifice. Christ
shows how inconsistent the Pharisees WERE If
pleased with one we can palliate all seeming
wrongs; but if we hate him, even his good
deeds appear to be evil.
Christ was greater than the temple. u Ch.,
6 rs; Nal, 3:I.l That was bold claim for
one to make. Many theologians believe no
merely human being. indeed no creature, in
fact only God, could venture such an asser-
ton.
God prefers, if he can have but one, mercy to
sacrifice. Hos, Csc; Mic, 6:6-S; st. Matt,
8: 49,
We see from notes above how much light
the Bible throws on itself, and how needful it
is ~e first study lesson by Bible references.
The lesson was spoken by Christ on Satur-
day, April 10, A. ID. 81. The Passover proper
had taken place on the 18th. David ate the
shew-b bread at Mob, near Gibeah of Benjamin,
about II miles from Jerusalem, in the year
1862 b. c., or 1859 years before Christ referred
to it. More force is added to the fact Of David
eating the shew-breaf because he did so with
out doubt on the Sabbath and in the taber-
naele. Hosea lived in SaInaria, and wrote about
200 years b. C.. The table for the shew-bread
was on the north side of the Holy Place.
Christ addressed his remarks to the Phari-
sees. They were the ones who criticised his
conduct. 1t was ingenious in Christ to use
such strong illustrations. David was the pet of
his Nation, and anything he did was laudable
precedent. We notice how familiar Jesus was
with the Old Testament
By corn" V. /, we understand barley. Our
American Indian corn was then unknown in
Palestine. Breadstuffs were made from barley
or wheat. Barley was ripe in Palestine at or
near the time of the Passover. DIR. Thomson,
in "The Land and the Book" says: 81 have
often seen my muleteers as we passed along the
pluck Off ears, rub them in their
hands and aat he uraiuG uurnaStad inst ag the
Apostles are said TO have DONE" On q small
scale the Disciples harvested grain and even
thrashed it. So the hypercritical PharIsees
charged them with laboring on the Sabbath.
We call attention to the following:
/. Christ accompanied by some of his Dis
ciples went on certain Sabbath through a
field Of barley. There were then no fences.
The roads ran through farms. Grains grew on
either side, and were at ones hand as he passed
along. 1t is not clear from the account that
Christ was party to either taking the corn or
eating it.
2. Christ and his Disciples were not probably
travelling. No complaint was made that they
were violating the law by walking too far on
the Sabbath. The Pharisees would have been
sure To denounce bitterly any such fracture of
the law. Probably Jesus and his companions
were going simply to or from a synagog.
3. Christ argued from Bible illustrations in
defense Of his Disciples charged with breaking
the Sabbath by plucking corn thereon.
a. Christ and his associates were not settlers
or residents Of that particular region. They
could not rs conveniently arrange in advance
for provisions as when at home. Hence they
were in need of food and without the usual
resources for getting il.
b. In similar circumstances, David and his
on Sabbath entered the tabernacle
and ate the shew-hread, just removed from the
table in the Holy Place; and which it was al
lOTable for only the priests 70 eat. It is evil
dent Jesus approved Of the act of the High
Priest in permitting David TO take the shew-
bread, aud also justified David and company in
eating il. lie adduced the ease of David be-
cause ell the people believed in their most
famous King. Kimchi says: There is moth
ing which may hinder taking care Of life be-
sides idolatry, adultery and murder" Neces-
sity takes precedence of sanctity, ceremonial
propriety, saeredness of place, time or persons.
c. The priests worked on the Sabbath, slay-
ing and Offering sacrifices. That was by the
direction and sanction of God. He who ordered
the Sabbath has authority to determine any
exceptions as to what labor may be performed
thereon. The priests did on the Sabbath what
it would have been profane for aiers to do, or
what, by the theory of the Phar Us if carried
to its extreme, would be regarded IS profane.
Sacrifices were offered in double proportion on
Sabbath. The bread must be hot when put
into the tabernacle, and was therefore baked
by the priests on that day. So onerous were
the labors Of the priests and Levites on the
seventh day, that there was saying: There
is no Sabbath-keeping in the temple" If the
temple could bear such dissertation, then
surely he who was greater than the temple was
not trespassing.
d. If priests were privileged class as to en-